UNIVERSITY OF MALTA · 2019. 11. 13. · innovation affecting its diffusion. Literature pertaining...

The Edward de Bono Institute Dissertation Abstracts

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UNIVERSITY OF MALTA

The Edward de Bono Institute for the Design and the Development of Thinking

Abstracts 2009-2010

Table of Contents

Master in Creativity and Innovation

Graduation 2010

Fay Camenzuli

Opportunity Identification and Exploitation among Established Entrepreneurs: Habitual Heuristic or Cognizant Creativity? 4

Franco Curmi The Role of Collective Intelligence Networks in Innovation 5 Lisa Gafa

Creativity and Mental Illness in Malta 6

Leire Garcia Olaizola

Innovation in Television: An Analysis of Innovative Elements in Television Programmes 7

Clifton Pulis

Innovation Patterns in the Mobile Telephony Industry: A Case Study of iPhone Usage 8


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Master of Arts In Creativity and Innovation.

Graduation 2010

Anthony Cardona

Stress vs Creativity: A Corporate Perspective 9

Clayton Mercieca

An Exploration of the Development of Coaching in Malta and its Creative Aspects 10

Maria Elizabeth Schembri

Culture and Creativity in Vittoriosa : A Case Study Analysis 11

Graduation 2009

Rachel Rose Blackburn Sciberras

Innovation Management in Audiovisual Production Organisations in Malta 12

Patrick Cuschieri

Benchmarking Aviation Security Training Standards to achieve an Innovative Training Programme for Malta 13

Carla Farrugia

Pop/Jam: Creativity and Meaning - Making in Popular Media Cultures 14

Gavril Flores

Leadership and Creativity: An Analysis of Creative Leadership at Visual Trends International 15

Kim Galea

Why do we Choose who we Choose? What Women want: A Creative Study on Human Behaviour 16

Esther Huy

Climate is Changing, when will Malta be Energy Saving? Local attitudes towards Renewable Sources of Energy, and the generating of ideas to aid Green Energy in Malta 17

Christopher Magri

Stimulating Innovation through Demand Side Policies: A Case Study of Malta’s Innovative Public Sector Procurement Policy 18


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Stella Robertson

A Comparison of the Creative Processes of Psychodrama and Design (Through thinking, feeling and action) 19

Kevin Schembri

The Thinking Cardiac Surgeon: An Analysis of intra-operative Decision Making 20

Martin Schwarzer

Assessing the correlation of Creativity and Foresight - A grounded theory-related approach 21

Andrea Stellato

The Role of Benchmarking and Foresight in Malta’s R&I Policy Design 22

Zoltan Wysmyk

Creativity and Cognitive Skills of Leadership: The catalytic role of Creativity in the development of Cognitive Skills of Leadership 24


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Master in Creativity and Innovation

Graduation 2010

Fay Camenzuli

Opportunity Identification and Exploitation among Established Entrepreneurs: Habitual Heuristic or

Cognizant Creativity?

This study investigated the role of heuristics and biases amongst successful established entrepreneurs in Malta, and explored whether these entrepreneurs are creative and innovative in their opportunity identification and exploitation process. This research made use of the qualitative method of data collection, with semi-structured behavioural interviews conducted amongst 15 entrepreneurs who have owned and managed one or more businesses in Malta for over ten years. This study has demonstrated that the majority of the entrepreneurs who participated in this study do not rely on the heuristics and biases investigated herein when identifying and exploiting opportunities. Instead they process thoughts effectively and conduct ample research before agreeing to start a new venture. It has also indicated that the entrepreneurs in this study are creative in their way of thinking, and the creative processes employed are both deliberate and unconscious. However the creativity and innovation revealed in this study is somewhat limited in that little evidence was found that these entrepreneurs generate their own ideas - most refer to foreign markets to try and bring new concepts to adapt to Malta. This study suggests that entrepreneurs in Malta may gradually lose some of their creative edge as they become entrenched in routine on their journey down the entrepreneurial path. KEYWORDS: Entrepreneurship, Heuristics, Biases, Creativity, Innovation, Opportunity


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Franco Curmi

The Role of Collective Intelligence Networks in Innovation Literature indicates that a number of studies have explored collective intelligence and innovation separately. However, analysis of the links between the two seems to be missing. This study explores the role of collective intelligence networks in innovation. This is done by analysing four firms that use collective intelligence to generate innovative outcomes. The primary analytical methodology is a content analysis of sources that have referenced, discussed or presented research on the firms. In support to this, is a set of quantitative longitudinal statistics related to the firms and triangulated by existing studies in collective intelligence and innovation. Both fields are highly complex grounds and their combination may seem chaotic. However, while it might be impossible to control all the parameters of these multifaceted phenomena, there is support for the fact that key attributes are decisive for obtaining predefined specific outcomes from such complex networks. This study shows that the external input to the network is indeed imperative, as in the case of the external dynamics and influences generated by the firms in the study. The main contribution of this dissertation is in identifying nine key factors that influence the innovation outcome due to collective intelligence. The research also indicates that both the increase as well as the decrease of communication, in specific collective intelligence settings, may facilitate the augmentation of the intelligence factor within an innovation process. This empirically deduced outcome has both pure and applied use within the research and innovation discourse. KEYWORDS: Collective Intelligence, Innovation, Communication, Crowdsourcing, Diversity


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Lisa Gafa

Creativity and Mental Illness in Malta

This dissertation aims to reveal what links creativity and mental illness together, and how this

connection is perceived by eight mental health professionals in Malta, including four psychologists and

four psychiatrics who were interviewed for the purpose of this research. An in-depth literature review

delves into this highly debatable topic with an emphasis on two main disorders: bipolar disorder and

schizophrenia. Attestations from the interviewees’ transcripts support the vast body of literature that

suggests that a link between bipolar disorder and creativity is much more likely than the link between

schizophrenia and creativity. Nevertheless, although it is implied that in the initial stages it may

complement the work of the artist, mental disorder is definitely not seen as an asset. A comprehensive

analysis also reveals that the way creativity is perceived by psychologists varies from the way it is

perceived by psychiatrists, and that this affects their modus operandi and their patients’ ability to retain

their creativity. Data analysis shows the psychologist’s approach is more open to accept creativity in

relation to mental health and foster a more sensitive method in treating creative individuals. A number

of recommendations for further research conclude this research, in relation to how creativity can be

respected, enhanced and acknowledged in society, especially among professionals.

KEYWORDS: Creativity, Mental Illness, Attitudes, Professionals


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Leire Garcia Olaizola

Innovation in Television: An analysis of Innovative Elements in Television Programmes

Television has been the medium of biggest impact in society over the last decades. However, rapid

technological advances and globalization are reshaping the long-established characteristics of this

media.

A comprehensive review of the literature reveals that in this new context, television has to face new

challenges in order to survive. On the one hand, immersed in a process towards media convergence, the

role of television in the modern media scenery appears blurry. On the other hand, emerging digital,

interactive, personalized and transnational television is being criticized for not innovating in the inner

content and for not respecting television’s traditional objectives of informing and educating society.

I have developed this research with the objective of learning how to benefit from the advantages

offered by new technologies, how to respond the demands of the audience and how to respect the

principles of quality in order to create innovative television contents. With the intention of exploring

these questions, I analysed 340 innovative television programmes from 54 countries and I conducted

four interviews with international experts in television producing.

This research concludes that there is a direct relationship between innovating, creating quality contect

and reaching success. It confirms that modern television can become a place for participation,

democracy and intellectually challenging entertainment although the need to redefine audiovisual

contents in order to turn television into a successful and socially positive media in the future is stressed.

KEYWORDS: Innovation, Creativity, Television, Audiovisual Content, Media Convergence


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Clifton Pulis

Innovation Patterns in the Mobile Telephony Industry: A Case Study of iPhone Usage

This study explores innovation patterns among iPhone owners. It comprises a comprehensive review of the literature related to innovation and presents a definition of innovation as well as an explanation of the different types of innovation, processes of innovation diffusion and the characteristics of an innovation affecting its diffusion. Literature pertaining to the consumer’s buying decision and the adoption process of new products, which the author considers fundamental to this study, are also reviewed. Focus group discussions formed the methodology of this research. The data was collected from iPhone users. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out based on coding. Data obtained from this research was then related to previous studies. The data gathered reflects the attitude of participants towards new technological innovations, specifically towards their usage of the iPhone. The data reveals that there is a high level of interest by participants in newly launched innovative technologies. Moreover, it was established that users are extremely satisfied with the innovation that the iPhone possesses. The main research investigates the usage and attitude of users toward the iPhone’s innovative features and applications. This study includes recommendations for further research in the field of innovation. KEYWORDS: Innovation, Early Adopters, Lead Users, Innovation Patterns, iPhone


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Master of Arts in Creativity and Innovation

Graduation 2010

Anthony Cardona

Stress vs Creativity: A Corporate Perspective World business leaders recognise that creativity is playing an important role in their survival in today’s globalised economy. These individuals understand that they share partial responsibility in leading, shaping and directing the way people live and work. Traditional business models do not meet today’s challenges, but applying innovation concepts to these models success rate is higher. Yet creative leadership is necessary for innovation to succeed and all this to happen within an organisation. Despite management efforts to incubate creativity in their internal procedures, various factors (barriers) to creativity may be overlooked – stress is one. A degree of stress, such as to meet realistic project deadlines, may highly contribute to creativity. Long term stress on the other hand disturbs an individual’s cognitive behaviour that is much needed to access creative thinking processes. This dissertation presents findings from a quantitative study conducted in a corporate environment with the aim to gain further insight in respect to stress and creativity and any correlations between them. These issues and several related sub-themes are discussed, and suggestions to improve creativity and stress management are also presented. KEYWORDS: Stress, Creativity, Correlation, Organisation, Innovation


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Clayton Mercieca

An exploration of the development of coaching in Malta and its creative aspects

Internationally, coaching has grasped the attention of individuals and organisations coming from different backgrounds as it claims to improve performance and facilitates goal achievement towards success. Issues of concern among professionals and academics on its true nature and its effectiveness have been raised. Research has scrutinized the profession and, as evidence-based coaching literature becomes more available, coaching is able to claim to be a practice with unique characteristics and approaches. In Malta, however, coaching is still in its infancy and popularity is still scarce. The purpose of this study is to explore the development of coaching in Malta and its creative aspects. The research endeavours to investigate the following questions: How is coaching in Malta characterised by those who practice it? What are the models and techniques applied across the various coaching domains? Is creative thinking embedded in the coaching process? To date, no research has been conducted in Malta with regards to the coaching profession. Seven individuals who claim to offer coaching services participated in the study through individual semi-structured interviews. Thus, a qualitative research strategy was undertaken in the form of an exploratory approach. Each coach in the sample represented a specific coaching domain (life, health, executive and sports). The findings indicate that the nature and characteristics of coaching in Malta are following similar traits to the ones portrayed in the international coaching literature as common concepts were identified such as the focus on goal achievement and the facilitation of knowledge. Differences from other helping professions were also highlighted. Various techniques are employed by the coaches, some of which are found to be common across the different practices while others were more specific. All the participants in the study engage in techniques to re-programme client’s mindsets and stimulate imagination. The creative process becomes evident in the way coaches engage their clients to overcome complex problems and make sense of ill-defined solutions. KEYWORDS: Coaching, Coaching Models and Techniques, Creative Thinking, Malta, Developing

Profession


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Maria Elizabeth Schembri

Culture and Creativity in Vittoriosa: A Case Study Analysis

This research investigates theories proposed by Florida, Zukin, Landry, Hospers, Throsby and other authors on creative communities and creative cities. The literature review explores various viewpoints related to what constitutes a ‘creative city’ capable of generating creativity, innovation and economic growth. The research uses qualitative methodological tools to explore matters related to culture and creativity in Vittoriosa. In view of this, one-to-one semi structured interviews were held with various stakeholders which were composed of the local community and the business sector operating within the town as well as policy makers such as governmental entities. After establishing and describing the methodology of the study conducted, the analyses and results of the study are presented. A discussion on the idea of whether Vittoriosa is earmarked as a destination where a creative community may be developed is explored vis-à-vis the theories set out within the literature review. Comparisons are outlined so as to indicate the similarities or differences that emerge in relation to developed theories on creative cities. This is then followed by an attempt to explore and understand the significant role of creative production of Vittoriosa and what relation it has to economic and social growth. The final chapter proposes recommendations and conclusions regarding the impact of culture on creativity and innovation in the locality of Vittoriosa. From the study, it has emerged that in an ever more competitive economy, the locality considers investment in art and culture as one of the main pillars for Vittoriosa to flourish and that for the locality to be successful, it must develop, attract and retain talented and creative people who generate innovations and power economic growth.

KEYWORDS: Creative Cities, Creative Communities, Innovation, Creativity, Culture, Social Sustainability, Culture Sustainability


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Graduation 2009

Rachel Rose Blackburn Sciberras

Innovation Management in Audiovisual Production Organisations in Malta

Creativity and innovation are two separate yet inherently interconnected concepts. Innovation cannot

exist without the impetus of creative ideas; nevertheless, an abundance of creative ideas does not

predispose an organisation to be innovative. Innovation management is understood as the efficient and

effective management of the innovation process (Tidd et al., 2001) which involves the identification of

innovation opportunities and the facilitation of their implementation.

The purpose of this study is to examine how audiovisual production organisations in Malta harness

creativity and manage innovation. The research endeavors to investigate the following questions:

Which organisational factors need to be considered in innovation management? What strategy can be

used to measure creativity and innovation in organisational settings? How do audiovisual production

organisations in Malta manage innovation? Are there any trends in innovation management in the

audiovisual sector in Malta? Audiovisual production organisations were chosen as to date no research

has been conducted in Malta nor abroad on innovation in this sector.

Five organisations were identified to be researched, their selection was based on the following criteria:

the organisation provides audiovisual production services; more than 30 members of staff are employed

on a full-time basis and the organisation is Maltese owned or partnered. The organisations involved in

the research account for five out of a total of seven organisations that meet the established criteria.

The literature review indicates that innovation management on an organisational level is concerned with

six factors: strategy, leadership, structures and systems, resources, skills and knowledge, culture and

climate and barriers to innovation.

The research elicits qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data was gathered by

distributing an anonymous focused questionnaire to all full-time members of staff employed by each

organisation (n = 109). The qualitative data was collated from five managers from each organisation (n =

25) and feedback was also sought from a contact person in each entity.

The findings indicate that although each organisation has its own unique way of managing innovation,

common strengths and weaknesses were identified. The results suggest that sufficient skill pool, space

to innovate and role-modelling for innovation are the organisational factors least well managed by the

audiovisual sector in Malta. Whereas the sector’s ability to alleviate fear of failure, manage knowledge,

foster open communication and encourage risk-taking behaviour appear to be well managed.

KEYWORDS: Innovation Management, Creativity, Innovation, Audiovisual Production, Organizations


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Patrick Cuschieri

Benchmarking Aviation Security Training Standards to achieve an Innovative Training Programme for

Malta

Following the 11 September 2001 incidents in the USA, immense investment was exerted to develop,

enhance and harmonise aviation security at EU airports. The main objective of the research is to

establish and benchmark aviation security training methodologies of airports in the eight European

Union Member States (MS). An innovative aviation security training programme for Malta International

Airport (MIA) shall be designed on the outcome.

The research methodology consisted of a quantitative dichotomous questionnaire to eight MS, followed

by an interview to a Malta International Airport (MIA) target group. The outcome of the findings was

queried with an aviation security expert from the European Commission (EC). The study reveals

significant problems hindering EU airport security standards and eventual harmonisation within these

airports. The research discloses obstacles hindering security duties within the participating countries

with inappropriate recruitment being highlighted as a major predicament. Company owned staff versus

outsourced staff provides various insights with most airports agreeing that their staff are paid well.

Malta’s complication in the area is the division of outsourced and company owned staff that is paid

differently while performing the same duties.

While all countries recognise that quality, efficiency and effectiveness are the main drivers for screener

training, the majority of MS confirmed that the development of training courses reduces the time to

acquire skills. All MS link competencies and selection methods to knowledge, skills and abilities

necessary to perform security tasks. Twelve important competencies for security staff were identified.

Almost all countries expect security staff at their airports to possess these competencies.

Following the evaluation of data a new model of security staff qualification criteria was established for

the MIA. An innovative ‘training for impact’ programme was formulated. Furthermore, quality meetings,

tests, the creation of innovation teams and a new approach to share experiences with foreign airports

are being proposed. The projected training methodologies are: classroom training, case studies,

discussions, prompt listing, computer based training, self reading, audio visual training, x-ray image

identification, role play, on-the-job training and role reversal.

Although the objectives of the study were met, coming up with a set of training methods is not enough.

Communication and training aspects are vital; hence the importance of an instructor who is well

conversant with aviation security operating practices and regulations. This study would still be a letdown

in the hands of an inept instructor.

KEYWORDS: Aviation Security, Innovation Process, Training, Competencies, MIA


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Carla Farrugia

Pop/Jam: Creativity and Meaning-Making in Popular Media Cultures

This study describes how creativity functions in meaning-making in popular media cultures, when

meaning is made through iconic texts. It begins by asking what creative mechanisms are involved in the

meaning-making processes in popular culture iconic texts. It also describes how creativity functions

differently between a closed and an open text and identifies the meaning made through each. Due to

these investigations, this study also distinguishes what are the main values prevalent in popular

cultures, those which are perpetuated in the mass media and which are so important in the meaning-

making processes in popular media cultures. It also identifies how the two different types of culture

jamming texts, namely open and closed, react to these values and how creativity functions in each. The

study addresses popular culture texts, like culture jamming, in the light of different theoretical

approaches, including creativity theory, memetic engineering and conceptual blending. Texts from

popular culture, namely iconic adverts, their corresponding subvertisements and culture jammed

images from the Adbusters magazine covers are semiotically analysed and discussed in the light of the

various theoretical approaches presented. One of the core issues that came out of this dissertation is

that creative mechanisms are present in both closed and open texts, however they evoke different

responses and readings from readers. Another key aspect which links to the above idea is that the

semantic network around concepts is a fluid structure, meaning-making is helped by creativity to remain

in flux and meaning is constantly being reconstructed. Another core element is that an idea is truly

creative because it does not only challenge the main ideology, but engages the consumer above passive

consumption level. Finally, an additional central finding is that the main values of sexuality, unequal

power relations or violence and consumerism in popular cultures are perpetuated continually, even in

adverts that should sell an indistinct product like vodka, which is the product featured in the adverts

analysed.

KEYWORDS: Creativity, Popular Media Cultures, Meaning-Making, Culture Jamming, Advertising


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Gavril Flores

Leadership and Creativity: An Analysis of Creative Leadership at Visual Trends International

Creativity and leadership have been the subject of academic analysis for decades, however, research

studies on the impact of leadership on creativity are still limited, especially in areas like leading clients,

suppliers and the industry. This research studied ways in which leadership in the marketing

communication industry leads to creativity in relation to the seven pillars of creative leadership: Leading

Yourself, Leading People, Leading Clients, Leading Suppliers, Leading the Enterprise, Leading Vision and

Innovation, and Leading the Industry. Using a qualitative approach, this study investigated a local case

that is known for its creative output: Visual Trends International (VTI). Data was collected through in-

depth interviews with leaders of the organisation and relevant stakeholders, including staff, clients,

suppliers, and industry and creativity experts. These were asked how leadership at VTI functions in

relation to the seven pillars in an attempt to understand the ways this leads to creativity. The case study

highlighted the importance of VTI leaders’ personal characteristics and a relationship was found

between a leader’s values and the concept of authentic leadership. An emphasis on the leader’s ability

to select was pinpointed throughout the research, and this was reflected in a number of areas such as

choosing the right people, suppliers and clients. The study pointed out the importance of contingent

rewards in leading people to creativity, not as an end in themselves, but as a sign of recognition for the

individual’s personal achievements. In leading both clients and suppliers there is a stress on the

importance of building trustworthy relationships, knowing the client and the problems well, and

performing outstandingly. The balance between the leader’s active presence and absence is perceived

as essential in nurturing autonomy, independence and inspiration, which positively affects creativity.

The study identified ways in which creative leadership can drive the organisation towards innovation,

and VTI uses its own particular method in doing so. On the other hand, it was found that short deadlines

and heavy workloads might prompt people to use past ideas and solutions rather than novel ones. This

study also shows how in marketing communications, leading the industry involves leading both one’s

own industry and that of the client, thus putting more responsibility on the creative leader.

KEYWORDS: Leadership, Creativity, Creative Leadership, Strategy, Management


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Kim Galea

Why do We Choose who we Choose? What Women want: A Creative Study on Human Behaviour

This study explores women and what they want from an intimate relationship, how they project

themselves with regards to body language and what affects their selection when choosing a partner,

both consciously and unconsciously. It investigates how women feel about sex and how they experience

the act of intimacy. This study aims to analyze this subject by putting into practice Edward de Bono’s

technique of the Six Thinking Hats. Two types of questionnaires were randomly distributed to willing

participants, one using the Thinking Hats as a guide to aid respondents to follow the concept of parallel

thinking, while the other set of questionnaires held the exact same questions but were listed in a way

that the questionnaire gave no order to its process. This was done to analyze if by using de Bono’s

concept of parallel thinking, one would quicken the thinking process while also being more efficient in

the information that one provides. This would allow the findings to be compared and contrasted. The

respondents were selected on the criteria of being female and of 18 years of age or more. This study

shows that women are far more open when it comes to discussing the subject of sex than one would

have anticipated, that women are increasingly taking more control when it comes to choosing their

partners, that women have clear and defined strategies and values when it comes to knowing what they

want from intimacy and relationships, and, last but not least, that the Six Thinking Hats concept is an

effective tool to gather reliable and honest information since its efficient process allows one to think

and focus on a theme one step at a time.


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Esther Huy

Climate is Changing, when will Malta be Energy Saving? Local attitudes towards Renewable Sources of

Energy, and the generating of ideas to aid Green Energy in Malta

Energy and its production have become chief focal points in recent global issues. High emission rates

and fluctuating oil prices have instigated the renewable energy revolution.

This technology is not only sustainable, but also extremely adaptable, making it open to creative

opportunities. In Malta this reform has not arrived yet, which is curious since Malta needs to attain both

energy security and the energy targets imposed by the EU.

Hence why is this switch-over so impaired? This study aimed at uncovering the current local attitudes

towards renewable sources of energy, alongside ideas generated on the subject, and whether these

attitudes are susceptible to change. A qualitative design was employed, and data was gathered through

the application of the Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono to two focus groups comprising of either

semi-expert or non-expert participants, and via open-ended questionnaires carried out with local

experts on renewable sources of energy. The main findings suggest a significant gap between semi-

expert and non-expert awareness that influences both attitude and creativity, creating a polarization

caused by pre-existing knowledge. The study illustrates that knowledge, attitudes, and creativity are

interrelated and produce differences in perception and ideas. It further outlines the dire need for public

education on energy issues, and the barriers that need to be overcome to change current thinking

structures to foster a creative culture. This study contributes to the understanding of the influences

exerted upon creativity by attitudes and knowledge, and how these three constructs can aid in the local

development of renewable sources of energy.

KEYWORDS: The Six Thinking Hats, Attitudes, Renewable Sources of Energy, Creativity, Thinking


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Christopher Magri

Stimulating Innovation through Demand Side Policies: A Case Study of Malta’s Innovative Public

Sector Procurement Policy

Innovation is very important for economic growth and competitiveness. Government policy can

stimulate innovation that assists the economy to grow and compete internationally. Innovation policy

can either provide resources to private initiatives in the form of supply side policy, or influence outputs

as demand side policy. In practice a policy mix is tailored to the characteristics of the country and its

markets.

Large customers play a critical role in the success of innovative products by providing an early customer

base. Public procurement is one of the most direct forms of demand side innovation policy. Such a

demand side policy is increasingly being adopted as a way to stimulate innovation by developed

countries including the United States, Japan and South Korea. In pursuance of the Lisbon Agenda, the

European Union has been very active in pushing public procurement for innovations as a demand side

policy. However, in a small state like Malta it is questionable whether public procurement for

innovations can succeed. This study looks at the Maltese public procurement for innovations initiative as

a case study cognisant of its particular context: conservative public procurement by an unadventurous

public sector within an industry populated by small operators and where critical mass is a challenge.

The research looks at the Island’s public sector procurement for innovations initiative, assesses its

progress, strengths and weaknesses so as to provide a learning platform for the future.

A conceptual model of the factors influencing public procurement for innovations was constructed from

the literature review, and together with an evaluation of the Maltese context in terms of innovation,

was used as the basis for the flexible qualitative research design. The one-on-one semi-structured

interview was adopted as the data collection tool. Data collected was analysed using the template

technique. The study concludes that public procurement in Malta has the potential to stimulate

innovation but this will not happen by itself particularly in view of the difficulties that characterise a

small market, served by small operators, where legislation and its application are conservative, and

where the public sector is cautious of change and risk. The main recommendations of the study relate to

increased decentralisation of public procurement towards the contracting authorities and the adoption

of motivating factors to stimulate the public sector to be more open to public procurement for

innovations.

KEYWORDS: Demand-Side Policies, Public, Procurement, Public Policy


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Stella Robertson

A Comparison of the Creative Processes of Psychodrama and Design (Through thinking, feeling and

action)

This main objective of this research is to compare and contract the similarities and differences between

two apparently different creative processes: the design process and the method of psychodrama.

Qualitative interviews focused on the thinking, feelings, actions and strategies of the respondents (n = 6)

during their creative processes. According to the respondents there are three main differences between

the creative processes. These are as follows:

• The physical actions carried out during these two processes are very different, for example drawing is

completely different to role playing.

• The designers experience their process primarily as a thinking process, while the psychodramatists

experience their process primarily through feeling.

• The thinking styles used during these respondents’ processes are particularly different during the

latter stages of creation. An example of this is the use of thinking that uses judgment towards the end of

the designers’ process while the psychodramatists aim to suspend judgemental thinking especially

during the last stage of a drama.

According to the respondents the main similarities between the creative processes are in the areas of:

• Feelings experienced during the creative process, for example, all the respondents (n = 6) experienced

feelings of joy when their creative process is working.

• The ways of being that assist the creative process are also similar, for example, being open and flexible

is believed to assist both creative processes.

• The aims of the strategies used in the processes also correspond. For instance, drawing during idea

generation encourages the exploration of number ideas and role playing in a drama encourages

exploration of multiple viewpoints.

Analysis of the similarities and differences between the processes also led to ideas about how role-play,

maximisation and the sharing phase in psychodrama could benefit the designers’ creative processes.

The findings in this study also support the idea that individual and high creativity (Cropley, 2006) overlap

during the most explorative parts of creative processes.

KEYWORDS: Creativity, Design, Psychodrama, Thinking, Feeling, Action


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Kevin Schembri

The Thinking Cardiac Surgeon: An Analysis of intra-operative Decision Making

A third of claims against health care organisations result from cognitive and diagnostic errors in the

operating theatre and these diagnostic errors are associated with a higher morbidity than any other

types of medical errors. The subject of decision making in the surgical domain is not very well

researched by the scientific community.

This research looks at that ‘Thinking Surgeon’ and analyses the cognitive processes that go on during

surgery and the factors that shape the decision process. The literature review looks at the history of

decision making theory, the strategies of decision making applicable to the surgical domain and research

on this subject by the armed forces and civil aviation. Grounded theory was the qualitative approach

used in building theory from data acquired during interviews and field work. The results show that there

are layers of thinking that are concerned with Technical Cognitive Processes and Non Technical

Cognitive Processes (NTCP) together with sub layers of the conscious and subconscious. The focus

remains on the NTCP which is concerned with decision making. It shows that the NTCP is composed of

Data Acquisition and Processing (DAP), Decision Strategies and Decision Shapers.

The recommendations include adaptation of measures in the surgical field that have been developed for

the aviation industry, mainly crew resource management, and which are being tested in the anaesthetic

domain. It also recommends that this work should be expanded and tested as is currently being

practiced in the United Kingdom.

KEYWORDS: Surgeon, Decision Making, Cognitive Process, Operative Non Technical Skills


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Martin Schwarzer

Assessing the correlation of Creativity and Foresight - a grounded theory-related approach

Although creativity might not be a fundamental prerequisite to conduct foresight, it can be inferred that

creative thinking contributes to a positive outcome of a foresight exercise. In the light of current

economic developments, which are impacting on the ability of private and public organizations to

safeguard their long term survival in particular, foresight offers an increasingly popular approach to

address these difficulties.

This dissertation investigates the correlation of creativity and foresight with a view to determining the

extent to which knowledge on creativity is disseminated and accessible to the foresight community.

Involving representatives of the foresight community, it analyses possible short-comings of the

prevailing knowledge, and discusses the effects which an expanded understanding of creative thinking

can have for foresight.

After delivering a review of the theoretical progression of both subjects, the selected research

methodology is introduced. Then, results of data collection and data analysis are given and discussed.

The findings refer to “platforms of understanding” for both the phenomena of creativity and foresight,

which indicate an essential understanding of both the phenomena of creativity and foresight, as well as

their overlapping characteristics. Further findings refer to the understanding of creativity prevalent in

the foresight community, and the improvements creative thinking might provide with regards to the

knowledge foresight provides, e.g., by identifying inevident drivers of change, by influencing the

behavior of foresight actors, or by enhancing the implementation of foresight results.

KEYWORDS: Foresight, Corporate Foresight, Creativity, Innovation, Grounded Theory


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Andrea Stellato

The Role of Benchmarking and Foresight in Malta’s R&I Policy Design

Over the last four decades, there have been growing indications worldwide of an increased use by

governments of Benchmarking and Foresight as policy tools in national Research and Innovation (R&I)

policy design. Intergovernmental organisations have played an important role in promoting the use of

these tools and in providing support for their development. The European Union has in particular

stimulated the use of Benchmarking and Foresight in policy design through the Scientific and Technical

Research Committee (CREST) and the Framework Programmes (FPs), by complementing this with the

Open Method of Coordination (OMC), peer review and joint-programme initiatives.

Benchmarking the inputs and outputs of national systems of R&I is primarily based on the development

and refinement of R&I indicators and scoreboards, by Eurostat, World Economic Forum (WEF) and

OECD. There is a trend across most countries worldwide to focus the efforts of various national

resources towards one common front, with the aim of promoting the national R&I indicators as the basis

for more evidence-based policy approaches using international R&I benchmarks. These latter indicators

are not only related but, to an extent, also complementary because of the spill-over effects of each

benchmark.

The link between investments in R&I and future economic growth has been proven – R&I measures

support local industries by providing them with the technology and competitive edge required to trade

in today’s aggressive global markets. Benchmarking increasingly relates to efficiency of efforts in

implementation by governments to facilitate and catalyse the R&I development process. Countries are

constantly in competition amongst themselves in terms of SMART policy design in order to gain some

form of competitive edge over one another. Competition has led many of the more advanced

economies to outsource the policy design activity to organisations with specialised expertise in policy

design. Yet, at the same time, Foresight has evolved as a strategic and accessible policy tool for

exploring and defining long-term R&I policy visions and priorities for national investments in R&I, on the

basis of more systematic and participatory approaches.

Developments in R&I policy design, in terms of concepts and approaches, have helped Benchmarking

and Foresight to evolve and adapt in order to meet current and new challenges of globalisation,

knowledge societies, competitiveness and economic recession, amongst other factors.

In recent years, Malta has invested in a short space of time in both R&I Benchmarking and Foresight

activities, and there are growing trends of outsourcing elements of policy design and implementation.

This dissertation analyses Malta’s R&I experiences between 2000 and 2008 with a view to identifying

lessons learnt from R&I policy design. This dissertation will help to provide the input for the

development of an improved national R&I growth pattern. As far as referenced benchmarks are

concerned, the author has analysed the EU Trendchart and World Economic Forum Global

Competitiveness Rankings in order to monitor Malta’s R&I progress and its international rankings.


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Malta is different in many respects from other transition economies due to its small size and lack of

natural resources. It is therefore not feasible to simply import R&I strategies and implement them

without adaptation to the local context. The main focus of this study is to explore the role of R&I policy

design within the Maltese economy and to identify the most innovative approaches, in the realm of R&I

policy design currently being used by advanced and transition economies, both in Europe and

worldwide.

The approach used for this study will be phased in three main stages. Stage 1 consists of a general

analysis of the most widely used international Benchmarks and Foresight approaches, as well as current

R&I best practices and successful strategies in national policy design, deployed both locally and

overseas, with a view to formulating a national strategy tailored to the Maltese Economy. Stage 2

presents the results of the data collected from a number of local R&I workshops and a sample survey, in

the form of a semi-structured questionnaire sent to a number of major Maltese stakeholders, in both

the public and private sector. A final stage discusses and compares all the data collected with the

literature reviewed by the author and concludes by recommending a national policy design approach

that can be realised using both Benchmarking and Foresight approaches.

KEYWORDS: R&I, Foresight, Benchmarking, Indicators, Scoreboards, Malta’s Policy Design.


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Zoltan Wysmyk

Creativity and Cognitive Skills of Leadership: The catalytic role of Creativity in the development of

Cognitive Skills of Leadership

The aim of this dissertation is to examine theories, as well as the results of empirical research in order to

find evidence for the intuition that while cognitive skills and creativity are essential for every individual,

in the context of the power-structure of an organizational environment, their prevalence in leadership is

not always so obvious. Creativity is seen to have been catalytic to the development of science, however,

the more the ‘scientific’ definition of ‘objective reality’ prevails, the more it imposes constriction on

creativity. Thus, changing the perception of reality can broaden the boundaries of rationality and the

territory of thought on which creativity can thrive. Creativity is related to the highest level of the

hierarchy of our needs, and self-actualising people are considered to be creative. Beyond this static

view, it is shown what forces are at play behind group dynamics, and how they relate to creativity. The

problem of alienation and its relation to creativity is also presented from a social theory point of view.

As much as early organisational theories aimed to regulate management by ‘scientific methods’, the

trend towards ‘subjectivity’ substituted the paradigm of the ‘rational organisation’ as well. The

development of organisational theories has lead to increased ‘self-awareness’ of the role of leaders in

the enhancement of the ‘creative environment’. By understanding the intrinsic forces of motivation and

the role of empowerment, the resulting free expression of the self seems to solve the age-old problem

of the working man, alienation: for ‘leaders’ and ‘followers’ as well.

KEYWORDS: Perception, Creativity, Cognitive Skills, Empowerment, Leadership

UNIVERSITY OF MALTA · 2019. 11. 13. · innovation affecting its diffusion. Literature pertaining...

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